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(No Model.)

G. D. BAIRD.

GRAIN WEIGHER.

No. 355,248. Patented Dec. 28, 1886.

llllllllmi" 1 N4 PETERS. PhowLiihogmpher, Washingiom o. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D. BAIED, OF PEOBIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE OF TlVO-THIRDS TO yCHARLES A. TAYLOR AND IVILLIA'M E. LITTLEFIELD, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.355,24-8, dated December28, 1886.

Application filed June 1, 1885.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known thatJ, GEORGE D. Bitten, of Peoria, in the county of Peoria,in the State of Illinois, havcinvented an Improved GrainlVeigher; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, makinga part of this specification, in which like letters of reference referto like parts, and in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of theweighcr, Fig. 2, a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical section atXXin Fig. 2; Fig. at, a perspective view of the fans of the weigher;

Fig. 5, a sectional view showing the fan-lock;

Fig. 6, a vertical section of the elevator and of the hood-spout fordelivering the grain from said elevator to the weighing device; Fig. 7,a view of the bucket with a modified form of lock; Fig. 8, a frontelevation of the metal plate to which the hood is secured.

The object of this invention is the construction of a machine forautomatically weighing grain as delivered thereto in a steady stream.The particular class in which is my invention is that wherein theweighingbucket is supported by steelyards whose deflection, caused bythe mass of grain accumulating in the said bucket,permits said bucket tosuddenly empty itself and become ready for refilling.

My invention relates especially to an improved form and construction ofthe weighingbucket, which shall not only be simplerin detail, but moresure and efficient in its working.

My bucket consists, essentially, of a quadrant cylinder provided withradial fans adapted to be easily revolved therein, and of a lock.arranged to hold said fans rigid within the bucket and release the samewhen the said bucket is depressed.

In the drawings, B is the bucket; F, the ralatter side, are bearings forthe shaft or axis Serial No. 167.335. (No model.)

A, which supports the fans I Said axis I usually form of metal cast intothe requisite shape and provided with the projections A, to which tosecure the fans F. Said fans may be made of wood; but I prefer to makethem of sheet mctah'and to form each fan in two outer portion of thedoubled edges E are bent down somewhat closer, so as to form stops.

The steelyards consist of the slotted shank S and the two arms S, to theends of which the bucket B is pivotally fastened, having such pivotalpoints above the center of gravity of said bucket. The weight IV is heldto the steelyards S by the bolt W, passing from said weight up throughthe slot S to the nut WW, held from turning by the cup U, fitting aboutsaid nut and having ears U proj ectinginto said slot S. By turning theweight EV tightly up against the steelyard-sl'iank it is held therebyimmovably wherever set. By unscrewing said weightit is unloosened andcan be moved along to a new point of adjustment- To cause the bucket Bto drop instantly and quickly as soon as the inflowing grainoverbalances the weight W I lower the fulcrum center of the steelyardsby means of the sub-arms T, rigidly depending from the steelyard-arrnsS. At the end of each of said sub-arms are two or more pin-holes toreceive the bearing-pins, held by suitable supports. I make the extrapinholes to permit of adjustment of said bearingpins to and from thesteelyards, so as to vary the quickness of tripping of the weigher.

The elevator E is adapted to support the weigher by means of abearing-pin, I, entering corresponding pin-holes in each sub-arm T, saidpins being held one by the branch R of the bar E projecting from theelevator E, and the other projecting directly from the elevator itself.As each fan F passes down into the bucket 13 by the revolution of thewhole, it is brought to a stop at the vertical edge of said bucket bycoming in contact with the lip L of the latch L, pivoted to the side ofthe bucket. To release such fan and permit it to pass onward and thegrain held thereby to escape, the tail of said latch comes against thepin L, projecting from the elevator, as the bucket descends, its grainhaving overbalanced the weight, and the lip L is de pressed until belowthe lower edge of the fan F and the latter is loosened therefrom.

In constructing the hooded spout H, I substitute the metal plate K,having the notch K in the upper edge thereof, for a portion of theordinary wooden side. At the bottom of said plate is the lug or lip Ii,having a bolt-hole through it. Into said notch the lower part of saidhood is bent, and secured therein by pass ing a bolt through the lowercorners of said hood and said bolt-hole. The upper part of said hood istacked to the edges of the elevator. The object of this wedge shape ofthe spout is that it may be as little as possible in the way of the fansas they pass on down into the bucket. To make the delivery end of saidspout as wide as possible without danger of its being struck by the fansis the reason why I make said tans longitudinally contractible, aspreviously described. As the fans revolve above the axis A, gravitycauses the movable part F to slide toward the center, and, thusshortened, their outer edges can safely pass the spout H. As each fanpasses on down into the bucket, gravity again actuating said saidmovable part, elongates the same and brings the outer edge thereofagainst the curved side B, making a better fit thereagainst andlessliable to binding than it the fans were solid.

Instead of locking the fans F by the direct engagement therewith of thelatch L, I may rigidly fix a notched disk, A to the projecting end ofthe axis A, and with which said notched disk said latch is adapted toengage and to be released therefrom as in the other way.

IVhat I claim as myinvention, and for which I desire Letters Patent, isas follows, to wit:

1. The combination, with the slotted steelyards and the bucket supportedthereby, of the weight \V, having the bolt projecting rig idly therefromthrough the slot S of said steelyards, the nut for said bolt and the cupU, fitting about said nut and having ears U, projecting into said slot,substantially as and for cram-bearing on said branch and the other inthe support of said bar, and the weight IV, in combination with thequadrant sides 13* and the curved side B, forming the bucket B, theradial fans F, mounted in said bucket, and the latch L, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

3. In agrain-weigher, the combinatio11,with the bucket formed with thetwo plane parallel sides and the quarto-cylindrical side, of the axis A,mounted in said bucket coincident with said curved side, and the fans F,projecting from said axis and having the outer portion of each separateand radially movable, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

A. In fans for a grain-weigher of the kind herein set forth, the axis A,having the projections A, in combination with the fan parts F, securedto said projections and having the doubled lateral edges F, and the tanparts F adapted to, be easily slid in the grooves formed by said doublededges, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In agrain-weigher, the combinatio11,with the steelyards havingsuitable fulcrum-bearings, the bucket B. supported by said steelyards,and the radial fans F, adapted to be revolved in said bucket, of thelatch L, pivoted to said bucket and having the lip L, by which said fansare individually held in said bucket, and a stop adapted to elevate thetail of said latch when the bucketis depressed andthereby release saidfans from the lip L, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereuntoset my hand this 12th day ofilIay, 1885.

GEORGE D. BAIRD.

In presence ot'- A. B. UPILUI, A. KnrrHLEY.

